VG247 » Nexon Americahttp://www.vg247.com
VG247.comWed, 04 Mar 2015 00:20:49 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.1Is this new free to play game from the Sleeping Dogs studio Triad Wars?http://www.vg247.com/2014/06/26/sleeping-dogs-2-triad-wars-united-front-is-this-new-free-to-play-game/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/06/26/sleeping-dogs-2-triad-wars-united-front-is-this-new-free-to-play-game/#commentsThu, 26 Jun 2014 09:17:35 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=480417Sleeping Dogs studio United Front Games has confirmed it is developing a new free-to-play title for release in 2015. Is this the company’s confirmed Triad Wars project?

Today, Eurogamer reports that United Front Games has signed a deal with Nexon America to publish its mystery free-to-play game in 2015.

“We can’t wait to unveil our new title with Nexon America – we’re confident it’s going to be a smash hit,” said United Front Games boss Stephen van der Mescht.

Do you think the project is Triad Wars? Let us know below.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/06/26/sleeping-dogs-2-triad-wars-united-front-is-this-new-free-to-play-game/feed/4MapleStory 2 cinematic trailer shows an epic forest throwdownhttp://www.vg247.com/2013/12/16/maplestory-2-cinematic-trailer-shows-an-epic-forest-throwdown/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/12/16/maplestory-2-cinematic-trailer-shows-an-epic-forest-throwdown/#commentsMon, 16 Dec 2013 09:05:44 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=435170MapleStory 2 was announced back in November, and now developer Nexon has released a cinematic trailer to get you in the mood. Check it out after the break.

MapleStory 2 is the sequel to the 2D MMO MapleStory. This trailer gives an idea how the sequel might look as it moves into the third dimension, with a pair of characters battling it out in a forest setting, only to be overwhelmed by a much larger foe (and incongruous dubstep). The beta will open in 2014.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/12/16/maplestory-2-cinematic-trailer-shows-an-epic-forest-throwdown/feed/0Extraction’s closed beta launches todayhttp://www.vg247.com/2013/10/15/extraction%e2%80%99s-closed-beta-launches-today/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/10/15/extraction%e2%80%99s-closed-beta-launches-today/#commentsTue, 15 Oct 2013 19:41:32 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=417895Extraction’s closed beta has launched, Splash Damage and Nexon America have announced. Originally known as “Dirty Bomb”, the closed beta for the online multiplayer shooter has limited openings, so only a select number of players will be able to participate. Notifications should be in your inbox if you have signed up, but more will be sent out in waves, so don’t despair. Testers will be helping out with stability and balancing.
]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/10/15/extraction%e2%80%99s-closed-beta-launches-today/feed/0Extraction closed beta registration now open, testing starts in Octoberhttp://www.vg247.com/2013/09/18/extraction-closed-beta-registration-now-open-testing-starts-in-october/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/09/18/extraction-closed-beta-registration-now-open-testing-starts-in-october/#commentsWed, 18 Sep 2013 13:02:42 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=409237Extraction’s closed beta will kick-off in October, Splash Damage and Nexon America have announced. Originally known as “Dirty Bomb”, the closed beta for the online multiplayer shooter will have limited openings, so only a select number of players will be able to participate. Notifications will be sent to chosen players by October 1, when the closed beta period begins. Testers will be helping out with stability and balancing. Significant contributions have already been made to the game by its alpha testers since December 2012. Sign up for closed beta testing here.
]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/09/18/extraction-closed-beta-registration-now-open-testing-starts-in-october/feed/2Nexon CFO argues against intrusive monetisation in free to play gameshttp://www.vg247.com/2013/09/12/nexon-cfo-argues-against-intrusive-monetisation-in-free-to-play-games/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/09/12/nexon-cfo-argues-against-intrusive-monetisation-in-free-to-play-games/#commentsWed, 11 Sep 2013 23:33:04 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=407269Nexon free to play games might be big news in Asia, with smash hits like Maplestory, but their free to play offerings like Combat Arms and Vindictus have had a harder time gaining traction in the west. The company’s Chief Financial Officer Owen Mahoney argues that free to play attitudes in the west have held back the model from attaining the dominance it has in Asia.

“Some of the western companies, especially in the casual space, made the mistake of thinking that free-to-play was an ersatz pay-to-play. If you play a game that won’t let you continue unless you pay, it’s not free. We learned the lesson very early on and we stopped making that mistake right away.”

Nexon have been proactively investing in western companies making more core focused free to play games over the last 12 months, such as Rumble Games, Brian Reyneolds’ SecretNewCo and former EA and Zynga COO John Schappert’s Shiver Entertainment.

For Nexon, it’s all about moving away from the intrusive practices and stigma established by many Facebook and mobile free to play and towards high quality experiences that players want to spend money on, like Valve’s Dota 2. Mahoney argues that constantly badgering the player for money is ultimately counterproductive.

“If a waiter in a restaurant keeps asking you if you’d like to order more food every two minutes, the restaurant might make some extra cash that night, but you’d likely never come back.”

Although 90% of Nexon’s playerbase never paid a dollar into the company’s $1.2 billion dollars of revenue, players in that top 10% contributed on average $22 a piece. That doesn’t mean the 90% of players are without value, however.

“They are all playing in a synchronous, immersive world. You have thousands of people playing at the same time. If people are not there or they are not engaged, then they are not going to keep coming back. So we have to focus on the 90 percent of people, even though they are not spending money.”

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/09/12/nexon-cfo-argues-against-intrusive-monetisation-in-free-to-play-games/feed/0Extraction was going to be self-published by Splash Damage before Nexon America signed onhttp://www.vg247.com/2013/09/03/extraction-was-going-to-be-self-published-by-splash-damage-before-nexon-america-signed-on/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/09/03/extraction-was-going-to-be-self-published-by-splash-damage-before-nexon-america-signed-on/#commentsTue, 03 Sep 2013 20:01:36 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=404656Splash Damage planned on self-publishing Extraction, its free-to-play shooter, before Nexon America signed on as its publisher.

“We were going to operate it ourselves. That was the plan,” he said. “We would have just grown it organically. If you look at independent developers who try to do it, they have good games, but these games only find little markets, which is a shame. I don’t think [Extraction] wouldn’t have had the potential to grow exponentially, but it would have taken a lot longer to do everything.”

However, the studio knew it could lose money if the game didn’t make enough to cover the cost of servers and continued development support, so they Splash Damage parntered with Nexon due to it having the ability to support the game, and the willingness to allow the developer to continue development a apace it’s comfortable with.

“Nexon already has the huge infrastructure, so we can use their servers, their hosting and their football field of awesome technology,” he said. “They’re the world’s biggest free-to-play publisher — it’s like being a company that wants to do something in the app space and partnering with Google. In the game space, that’s partnering with Nexon.”

Monetization options are still being discussed but both companies want to create a “high-integrity product that’s really authentic.”

A date has not been set but Nexon will bring Extraction to PC in Australia, Europe, New Zealand and North America.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/09/03/extraction-was-going-to-be-self-published-by-splash-damage-before-nexon-america-signed-on/feed/0Nexon Q1 financials suggest growing disparity between east and west marketshttp://www.vg247.com/2013/05/10/nexon-q1-financials-suggest-growing-disparity-between-east-and-west-markets/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/05/10/nexon-q1-financials-suggest-growing-disparity-between-east-and-west-markets/#commentsFri, 10 May 2013 09:19:19 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=365587Nexon has revealed its Q1 financial report, suggesting that the publisher’s revenue is booming in Japan with ¥9.9 billion in the country alone – an increase of 222.4% – but the figures are sliding in North America.

GI.biz reports that for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 the company’s profits in Japan leapt 448.4 % year-on-year to ¥1.9 billion. The site adds that Nexon’s acquisition of Japanese mobile developer Gloops Inc. for $470 million last year, is a contributing factor for its success.

However the story is not as rosy in North America as – despite a 9.5% increase in revenue across the country at ¥1.5 billion – Nexon suffered an ¥182 million loss, compared to a smaller US loss of ¥145 million last year.

Meanwhile, overall revenue jumped 36% for the year at ¥44.4 billion, and Nexon’s net profit climbed 19.1% ending at ¥15.4 billion. The report highlighted two hit games in South Korea – Sudden Attack and Dungeon & Fighter – as key factors, helping to push its revenue in the country up 27% to ¥30.7 billion, and profits up 8.7% to ¥18 billion.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/05/10/nexon-q1-financials-suggest-growing-disparity-between-east-and-west-markets/feed/0Nexon invests in Robert Bowling’s Robotokihttp://www.vg247.com/2013/02/26/nexon-invests-in-robert-bowlings-robotoki/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/26/nexon-invests-in-robert-bowlings-robotoki/#commentsTue, 26 Feb 2013 05:17:48 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=343719Nexon has made a “strategic investment” in Robotoki, the publisher announced via press release this week. Terms of the investment were not disclosed, but Nexon said the two companies will ‘coordinate efforts’ on development of “multi-screen, cross-platform gameplay”. Robotoki was founded by Robert Bowling, former creative strategist for Call of Duty, and is working on a first-person survival effort called Human Element, which will support cross-platform play elements on PC, next-gen consoles, Android and iOS. It’s expected in late 2015.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/26/nexon-invests-in-robert-bowlings-robotoki/feed/0Consoles must embrace free-to-play or face extinction, says Nexon bosshttp://www.vg247.com/2012/08/21/consoles-must-embrace-free-to-play-or-face-extinction-says-nexon-boss/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/08/21/consoles-must-embrace-free-to-play-or-face-extinction-says-nexon-boss/#commentsTue, 21 Aug 2012 04:01:02 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=288288Nexon America CEO Daniel Kim has said consoles will “go the way of the dinosaurs” if manufacturers ignore the free-to-play market.

Nexon makes a number of popular MMOs including Maple Story and Combat Arms, and corners a significant portion of the Asian and US free-to-play dollar – something beyond the reach of current consoles, Kim told GamesIndustry.

“Console developers are starting to realise that as well, that unless they make accommodations or think about changing their own business model they’re going to quickly go the way of the dinosaurs,” he said.

“The business model it really makes sense. It’s really hard to beat free-to-play as an offering,” he added.

“The console guys are starting to realise that, but they also have a challenge in that they have a vested interest in an existing business model of packages. I know it’s tough for them to just cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to say ‘OK, we’re going to go free-to-play and make our bed here’ because that’s going to piss off a lot of people who they already have an existing business relationship with.”

Kim sympathised with the challenge hardware manufacturers are facing but said that unless they make “that leap of faith” then there’s no way for companies to continue to grow.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/08/21/consoles-must-embrace-free-to-play-or-face-extinction-says-nexon-boss/feed/10Dungeon Fighter LIVE due on XBLA next weekhttp://www.vg247.com/2012/07/04/dungeon-fighter-live-due-on-xbla-next-week/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/07/04/dungeon-fighter-live-due-on-xbla-next-week/#commentsWed, 04 Jul 2012 04:02:12 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=274523Dungeon Fighter has finally secured a release date on Xbox Live Arcade: July 13. The hack-and-slash RPG hit Steam last week, but the console version is quite different; Dungeon Fighter Online was once touted as the Xbox 360′s first freemium game, but in the end Nexon had to spin off a special, microtransaction-free version called Dungeon Fighter LIVE: Fall of Hendon Myre. Visit Siliconera for more information.
]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/07/04/dungeon-fighter-live-due-on-xbla-next-week/feed/0Dungeon Fighter Online released on Steamhttp://www.vg247.com/2012/06/28/dungeon-fighter-online-released-on-steam/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/06/28/dungeon-fighter-online-released-on-steam/#commentsThu, 28 Jun 2012 19:30:44 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=273563Nexon America has released its free-to-play, arcade-action RPG Dungeon Fighter Online via Steam. Players can not only participate in adventure, but battle beasts, demons, and more for the fate of the exotic world of Arad. From now until July 11, players will receive a Skeleton Key and 10 Golden Apples for their first character created. Check it out through the link.
]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/06/28/dungeon-fighter-online-released-on-steam/feed/1Vindictus joins other free-to-play MMOs on Steamhttp://www.vg247.com/2012/06/23/vindictus-joins-other-free-to-play-mmos-on-steam/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/06/23/vindictus-joins-other-free-to-play-mmos-on-steam/#commentsSat, 23 Jun 2012 13:38:45 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=271997Nexon America has released its free-to-play action-MMO Vindictus on Steam. The firm plans on releasing its FSP Combat Arms and and its multiplayer title Dungeon Fighter Online later this month. The Steam service now boasts over 30 free-to-play titles.
]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/06/23/vindictus-joins-other-free-to-play-mmos-on-steam/feed/0Nexon’s Dungeon Fighter LIVE: Fall of Hendon Myre to release on XBL later this yearhttp://www.vg247.com/2012/01/18/nexons-dungeon-fighter-live-fall-of-hendon-myre-to-release-on-xbl-later-this-year/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/01/18/nexons-dungeon-fighter-live-fall-of-hendon-myre-to-release-on-xbl-later-this-year/#commentsWed, 18 Jan 2012 19:27:26 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=227384Nexon has released a promotional trailer for Dungeon Fighter LIVE: Fall of Hendon Myre, its Xbox Live version of Dungeon Fighter Online for PC. The video features scenes and illustrations of the original game’s Slayer, Gunner, and Fighter characters, and is posted below. Microsoft Studios is set to publish the game, and it will be released via XBLA later this year.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/01/18/nexons-dungeon-fighter-live-fall-of-hendon-myre-to-release-on-xbl-later-this-year/feed/1Rumour – Nexon to go public at $1.28 billion in Decemberhttp://www.vg247.com/2011/11/24/rumour-nexon-to-go-public-at-1-28-billion-in-december/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/11/24/rumour-nexon-to-go-public-at-1-28-billion-in-december/#commentsThu, 24 Nov 2011 01:50:06 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=217895VentureBeat has heard whispers that Maple Story and Combat Arms publisher Nexon will make its initial public offering on the Tokyo Stock Exchange come December 6. The online game provider is expected to bring in $1.28 billion, putting its market value at $8.97 billion – far outweighing other giants of the industry, including EA at $6.99 billion.

In its IPO filing, Nexon boasted of eight games which have generated $100 million in lifetime revenues, including three with over $300 million in and one of more than $400 million. It now hosts 57 online games in 104 countries.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/11/24/rumour-nexon-to-go-public-at-1-28-billion-in-december/feed/0Maple Story publisher posts 59% revenue jumphttp://www.vg247.com/2011/05/05/maple-story-publisher-posts-59-revenue-jump/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/05/05/maple-story-publisher-posts-59-revenue-jump/#commentsThu, 05 May 2011 01:10:32 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=168623Nexon America has announced a hefty increase in revenue during the quarter ending March 31, over the same period last year.

The MMO specialists made a note of a historical trend for lower activity during the first quarter than the rest of the year, suggesting Nexon may have a big 2011 ahead of it.

Upcoming releases include Dragon Nest and its first Facebook title, Maple Story Adventures.

Nexon’s primary arm is based in Korea, but the company also has major off-shoots in China, Japan and Europe.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2011/05/05/maple-story-publisher-posts-59-revenue-jump/feed/0New Vindictus content lands April 20http://www.vg247.com/2011/04/15/vindictus-new-content-lands-april-20th/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/04/15/vindictus-new-content-lands-april-20th/#commentsFri, 15 Apr 2011 10:08:13 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=164283Nexon’s free-to-play MMORPG Vindictus has received a number of updates, both large and small. Plus, free tokens for in-game content. It must be spring.

The updates, listed by Game Front, include tweaks to character ‘Evie’ and improvements to the dock system, so finding a group should be easier.

For players of level 23 and above a new area has opened up, Rensenlian’s Labyrinth – a 41-level arena funhouse with varied objectives.

While those that have battled to level 60 and beyond will get to face off against Titan, “the largest raid boss ever to set foot in Vindictus,” against whom you’re probably going to have to use more than just harsh language.

As a special thank you to the community for reaching 85,000 Facebook fans, Nexon will be giving away free tokens for one month, also starting April 20.

To find out more about Vindictus and download the game head over to the official site.

Another banner week for news regarding indie and other games of interest.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine may make it onto PC after all, 3D Dot Game Heroes is coming to North America, Nostalgia is now available, The Void sounds awesome, King Arthur: The Role-playing Wargame has finally gotten a release date, Eufloria has a demo, and version 2.6 of the Unity Platform is now free.

There’s tons more stuff after the break, too. Surely there is something that interests you should you click onward.

Flagship co-founder Phil Shenk may have formed Gravity Bear back in December of 2008, but he’s just now getting around to formally announcing the new independent studio focused on social games. Currently, the firm’s at work on an original IP, promising “evergreen” social gaming that evolves as players interact within it. There’s more through Gamasutra, including the firm’s commitment statement.

Critter Crunch and Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes developers Capybara Games are working on a zombie game. This is according to government funding papers found by GamerBytes. Rumored to be released for handheld or digital outlets, Zombie Tactics is a “mixture of strategy gameplay elements into the horror genre, dropping players into the heart of a devastating zombie apocalypse with nothing but their wits to get them out alive. As players fend for themselves, they will search for other survivors to add to their team, scavenge for weapons and supplies, and fight their way to freedom through an array of city settings.” Strangely enough, the document was filed back in February, and we’re just now hearing about it.

The same government funding paper, also brought to light was DrinkBox Studios’ latest project called, About A Blob. Apparently, in the game, “an innocent little creature grows and grows until it defeats mankind and consumes the planet.” Poor little fella. Sounds like he will be lonely in the end. And hungry.

GoG.com has added Larian Studios’ Divine Divinity for $5.99. It comes with a free soundtrack, artwork and wallpapers, along with avatars and a prose-filled short story that is actually a prequel to the game’s lore. The sequel, Beyond Divinity, will also be added in the future. Also added this week was JoWood’s Dark Fall: The Journal for $5.99. The XXv Productions developed game is a horror-style adventure game where you must help your brother – who’s been restoring a train station and hotel – and something evil is afoot trying to stop you. There’s free DLC for the game that will be made available to you once you have purchased the original title.

According to a Twitter post from SonyPlayStation, 3D Dot Game Heroes is coming to North America. Here’s the tweet: “No need to import – 3D Dot Game Heroes for PS3 is DEFINITELY coming to NA! Spread the word, more to come.” No word yet on when or how much, but it’s coming.

Majesco sent us over a press release, announcing that Ghostwire: Link to the Paranormal is headed to DSi in late 2010. “In Ghostwire: Link to the Paranormal, players are challenged to find and capture apparitions trapped within their own environment by using the Nintendo DSi Camera and ghost tuner to access alternative frequencies beyond the standard Wi-Fi range. Spirits, shadows and demons all have their own personalities, so finding and “solving” them is anything but easy. Some are shy. Some are evil. And some will only interact with you if you bring them something they want. What’s more, factors like time of day and light levels will further challenge your ghost hunting abilities, but a wide range of upgradeable equipment is available to help you communicate with the other side.” More can be found through here.

Ignition Entertainment announced this week that Nostalgia is now available for DS. In the RPG, players enter a world set in an alternate 19th century filled with airship battles, treasure hunts, and dungeon combat. Quests take players through the air and over oceans to Tokyo, London, St. Petersburg, Rio, New York and Cairo. Cool.

An online petition trying to convince THQ and Relic to release the upcoming Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine onto PC as well as console. The devs’ response? “We’re always looking at feedback on forums and know there are lots of people who are interested in a PC version. If we continue to see a strong desire for a PC version of Space Marine, who knows what might happen.” Keep hope alive. Thanks, RPS.

Konami has announced Frogger Returns for WiiWare and PSN. It’s the same Frogger you all know an love, only this time he gets some cool power-ups that either freeze or reverse time. The game is 12-times the size of the original, has new control options, and is rendered in 3D. Frogger Returns is expected to land on both systems this fall. From the press release: Streets, sewers, subways, and numerous other obstacles and enemies are in play – all for the sake of keeping Frogger away from returning home! Players can go head-to-head in timed capture-the-pad races, as well as compete with friends by showing off their best scores.” Awesome.

Paul Davis has announced that a demo for Medal Wars is now available on PC. The action-RPG is a catroon style game set during World War I where you play as a replacement captain attempting to turn the tide of the war against the Black Army. Playing as a Rifleman, Shotgunner, or Machinegunner, you must venture towards the frontline in search of a diabolical Secret Weapon. There are 24 different areas with missions and features, a body-targeting system enabling head and foot shots, an onscreen inventory, and full multiplayer support for both Local Area Network and internet. Check out the official website here.

Those who are interested in Runic Games’ Torchlight can play a demo for the game via Steam. If you are not a member or subscriber, don’t worry, it will be landed elsewhere as well soon. Give it a shot. It’s rather fun.

The Void was released this week in the UK, and in it you play a “mute, incorporeal soul trapped between life and death in a land which looks like a nuclear bomb test site redesigned by a feng shui master, and your only means of interacting with the world is the removal and application of color from a first person perspective.” Holy shit. According to GameSetWatch, the game deserves as much of a “fat slice of your time and money as Machinarium”. Looking over the Wikipedia page for it, we can’t find a reason to argue about it. See for yourself.

Konami has confirmed via press release that Shadow of Destiny (Memories) will land on PSP sometime during 2010. Outed by the ESRB back in August, the game players step into the role of Eike, a 22-year old man who’s trying to solve his own murder. Using a special time travel device, players guide Eike through multiple time eras ranging between the 1500s, to present day, to find clues that unlock the mystery behind his death. What you do in the past will affect the present, and the game includes a number of multiple endings that can be unlocked through choices made throughout the game. This bit of news should make plenty of people happy campers. Is that phrase too 1980′s?

Unity Technologies has released version 2.6 of its Unity Platform is now available at no cost. Originally it would have cost you around $200, and while Unity Pro will continue to cost $1,499, this kit should get you well on your way to creating. “Unity Technologies has always believed that the best technology and products should be made available to all developers. We want to accelerate the availability of high quality interactive content,“ said CEO David Helgason. “With the explosive growth in new platforms and performance improvement in our Unity suite of products, we believe that there are no technical hurdles remaining for high quality interactive content everywhere. Now we are removing financial hurdles as well. Unity is mature enough and easy enough to use that it can be the entry point for those developers taking their first steps with the technology.” Get it here.

Eufloria, previously titled Dyson, has demo available should you decide to give Alex May and Rudolf Kremers’ strategy title a go before you drop the cash. People seem to like it. The game has a single player campaign with 25 levels, a skirmish mode with 8 additional levels, procedural content that makes each play session unique, a soundtrack with over 2 hours of music created by Brian Grainger, AKA Milieu, and an almost completely mouse-based interface. It’s available for purchase through Steam, the official Dyson store, and D2D.

IGN has five new screens for the indie XBLA game, The Misadventures of Mr. P.B. Winterbottom. This one is definitely on our radar, and we just want it more and more every time we see something on it. It’s not just because we like how it looks, or pie, or get tickled when reading the word Winterbottom. Not at all. It just looks interesting and fun. Okay. We lied. It’s a combination of all, really. Game’s out in the early part of 2010 from 2K.

Iceberg Interactive has released Dracula Trilogy and Syberia Collection in the UK. Produced by Microïds, the Dracula Trilogy contains the re-mastered versions of Dracula I: Resurrection, Dracula 2: The Sanctuary and Dracula 3: Path of the Dragon, with the latter never having been released in the UK before. The Syberia Collection consists of re-mastered versions of both Syberia games and the first game by Sokal, Amerzone. More through here, and you can see Dracula screens over on Gamespot.

Avanquest Software and MumboJumbo released 7 Wonders II for DS this week. The puzzler requires players to match or swap items into groups of three or more just like the original PC version. Each level features a playing field covered in up to seven different types of ancient symbols, representing The Seven Wonders of the Forgotten World. Set against a backdrop of forgotten cities, hidden treasure and ancient relics, players must use the stylus to drag the colored tiles across the game board and make matching sets before the time runs out. There’s also a number of power-ups and bonuses that can be collected along the way to help complete challenges quickly such as an Ice Ball, earned by matching four symbols and used for removing tiles in a horizontal line. There’s also the Fire Ball which eliminates icons vertically and horizontally after five tiles are linked. Bonuses are gained by dropping building blocks onto certain marked squares. A Clock Stopper bonus freezes time for 20 seconds and a Chameleon bonus can change the color of any icon on the grid. There is also a Story Mode, where you participate in building each of the Seven Wonders, or Free Play Mode, starting from any level already completed in Story Mode. The Seven Wonders of the Forgotten World that need to be built are Stonehenge, the Colosseum, the Taj Mahal, the Shwedagon Pagoda, Angkor Wat, the Great Wall of China and the Moai Statues. Sounds fun.

Point-and-click adventure game Trauma explores the dreams of a young woman who was injured in a car accident and is recovering in a hospital. In the game, players learn her identity and her loss of her parents through different dreams. A series of photographs that players can zoom in, pan around, and investigate with different mouse gestures is the basis of the game, and Krystian Majewski – the developer – says that “it builds upon this established formula by introducing a gesture-based interface, real-time 3D technology for dynamic level layouts, unique photographic visuals and a level design philosophy that focuses on creating a rich experience rather than an elaborate puzzle challenge.” Designed for a “mature audience”, more infomation on the game can be found through here and here. The game is expected to be released sometime before the end of the year for free of charge.

Free-to-play shooter Combat Arms has a new map called Grave Digger out now. Located in a monastery near a small central European city, the new map supports Elimination, Elimination Pro, Capture the Flag and One Man Army games. More information is available through the official website.

Arkedo has released its new game SWAP! SWAP!, a dual-stick action puzzle game where you have to move one block at a time to create a four block chain either horizontally or vertically, over on XBL for 240 MS Points. There’s also a demo available in case you wish to try before you buy. Thanks, D’toid.

King Arthur: The Role-playing Wargame has finally gotten a release date. Expected to hit digital download sites on November 12, in the game you are tasked with uniting the warring provinces of Britannia. However, unlike in most strategy games, the gameplay is influenced by the RPG elements where you not only lead armies, but explore the gradually unfolding land go on adventures, gain experience, develop new abilities, fight battles on ancient battlefields against and with new units, monsters, spells and artifacts, but all sorts of other neat stuff. Pictures are posted in the gallery below.

Loads of MMOs are planning Halloween and fall festivities for users, but some have already launched tricky goodness.

You can find out more about those past the break, but while you are headed that way you will also learn other sorts of stuff like: Legends of Norrath’s eighth expansion has launched, CrimeCraft is headed to iPhone and Facebook, and having gone free-to-play D&D Online is doing great, apparently.

Travelers, the eighth Legends of Norrath release is live with new characters and storylines that send players to the Planes where you must stop the Voidmen from cutting the people of Norrath off from their Gods. There’s new cards, an all-new 200 card starter, and new loot. More information can be found here via the official site.

Funcom has reintroduced the free trail program for Age of Conan. It offers seven days of the full game with restrictions only on forums, mail, chat, and trading. Head on through here for the full lowdown.

Vogster has announced it’s working on CrimeCraft: Kingpin, which is way for Facebook and iPhone users to interface with the game through an application. No full details are available just yet, Vogster says “players will be able to complete missions, build gangs, buy weapons and equipment and develop rivalries in battles all while climbing up leaderboards”, reports Massively. The top player will earn the rank of Kingpin. More through the link.

Turbine is holding a Welcome Back Week from now until October 22 for Lord of the Rings Online. During which, you can play your old characters for free and get a +25 percent XP Bonus. Hooray.

Sony has released a patch for Star Wars Galaxies. With Update 14: Death Troopers, there’s new quests, a new gift, an Undead Rancor statuette, new paintings and the usual changes and improvements. Full patch notes are through here. Coolest thing about it? Zombies!!!!!!!!!

Square has announced that theFinal Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection will be released on November 10 in North America. It has all the content created within the title’s history for $19.99 and will be available at retail for both PC and Xbox 360 as well as digitally. Cool.

It looks as though Cheyenne Mountain is still having issues with getting funding for Stargate Worlds. “As for the Stargate Worlds game and Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, Inc., our company has struggled in the current economic climate to raise the funding needed to successfully develop and publish our MMORPG. While there continues to be a lot of desire, enthusiasm and excitement about the project from our employees, investors and fans, we will not be able to provide any updates on the development of Stargate Worlds until sufficient funding is available.” Read an official statement given to Massively. Hopefully, the company will get the funding it needs.

Turbine’s Dungeons and Dragons Online has seen a very successful relaunch since gong free-to-play. According to executive producer Fernando Paiz: “All aspects of our business are growing. Hundreds of thousands of new players in the world are playing for free, with a very high percentage using the store.” Also of note is the fact that monthly subscription numbers have increased 40 percent since it went live in September. More through Arstechnica.

Earth Eternal, the browser-based animal MMO went into open Beta this week. There’s 22 player races raning from critters to mythical beasts and machines. Basically, you take on the role of an ancient beast that man descended from man and commence to fighting demons, dragons, fairies, gods, and titans. Anything allowing you to beat up on fairies is a good game in our book. Those little winged miscreants really piss us off. Anyway, our mean streak aside, the browser-based game’s free-to-play and you can try it out here.

THQ has announced that Dragonica Online is live in North America. As part of the official game launch, a series of events and contests for all registered players are part of the celebrations and include: Emporia War Challenge, On Guard for Game Cards, Increased Rates, Around the World in 80 Hours, and the Kundaran Dungeon. Loads more is through here.

Ryzom has been patched. Now you can check your mail both in-game and out of game along with get a few more tattoos, creation tools and the devs are also asking players to help create PHP tools for the website/game. There’s loads more in the patch notes that just that though. Read the full thing here.

Two things for EverQuest this week. Both have to do with Underfoot, the expansion for the game. Ifyou are a player, you should check out both the developer diary and the video.

3000AD has announced that it’s space-based game Galactic Command will have 12 player races with 8 different careers with twitch-based combat and feature player owned bases, cities, ships and the like. Space battles will take place and there will be many to choose from. It’s due late 2010 into early 2011.

Nexon America has reported a 36 percent increase in third quarter revenue year-on-year which can be attributed to increasing player numbers for Combat Arms, MapleStory, and Mabinogi, and in-game items. MapleStory has more than six million registered users in the US and 92 million worldwide. More through Edge.

Speaking of Mabinogi, there be dragons! Red and Blue ones to be exact, which are at war with one another over control of the Golden Dragon. Meanwhile, playerscan fly hot air balloons through the warzone. No, they are silver ones complete with a 6-year old boy either. There’s loads more happening with the new update than just dragons. See for yourself.

Wizards 101 went offline this week to patch a huge update. Those who play may have noticed new mounts, new shops, new crafting options, and so many more wonderful things we just don’t have room for them all right here. But, over here, there’s plenty of room for the patch notes.

Last but not least here is a rundown of some the MMOs hosting Halloween events:Fallen Earth -Next week, the Days of the Dead will have players fighting off zombies; EverQuest II – The Nights of the Dead event is happening now until November 9 with decorations, special item drops and more.Pics; Free Realms – Super Spooktacular runs from October 14 – November 11th complete with decorations, trick or treating, seasonal mini-games, dance parties, new quests, and over 35 new costumes for players and pets to dress up in; City of Heroes – The unnamed Halloween event starts October 20 where heroes will face loads of enemies after destroying a Haunted Sigil.

It’s that time of the week again, kiddos. Time for the MMO news round-up for the week.

Unfortunately, this week the pickings were slightly slim. We blame TGS.

However, past the break there is news concerning the artbook for Guild Wars 2, a massive update to Bounty Bay Online, a round-up of news concerning the launch of Fallen Earth, and your chance to score a Star Trek Online Beta key from IncGamers.

Go ahead. Hit the jump.

EQII’s newest update, The Shards of Destiny is live. “The mysterious disappearance of the famed Erollisi Marr, the goddess of love has cast a dark cloud over Norrath and it is up to the players to travel to the Shard of Love and defeat the creatures they encounter to determine the fate of Erollisi Marr. In addition to the new storyline, players can also enjoy new features such as Chronomagic, housing additions and the all new achievement system.” Cool. More through here.

Dungeons & Dragons Online: Unlimited is offering the Ruins of Threnal adventure pack for characters level 8 and above. The adventure pack is available for purchase now in the DDO store.

Fallen Earth launched last week, and Massively has a nice round up of the events leading up to it. There’s some game guides, a FAQ and posts from the developer diary series from the summer. You should seriously have a look if you have been planning on playing this.

Bounty Bay Online’s getting a new series of individual in-game events ranging from pirate attacks on harbors and towns through to scavenger hunts back and forth across the oceans. Freebooters are threatening to break out of prison, and plague epidemics are also set to appear, as ships with highly infected crews sail into towns, and wild animals are set to rage out of control as a mishap in their transportation to the royal zoo sets them loose. Whole towns can become overrun with all manner of fierce creatures in the course of the events. Another scenario revolves around the indigenous people of more exotic game regions, who now and then require fresh virgins for their sacrificial ceremonies. Who doesn’t? In all of these in-game events, players’ active cooperation is in constant demand. It is only through the use of combined forces that the community will be able to bring the situation on their server back under control. Neato. For more on this along with news on the Beyond the Horizon expansion set to hit this winter, head on over to the official site.

That lovely Guild Wars 2 artbook full of art from and inspired from the game is now available for purchase. North American fans can shop for it on the Penny Arcade Store for $30, Europe can order directly from NCsoft for £20.00/€25.00.

IncGamers is handing out Star Trek Online Beta keys. It’s a caption contest running between now and Wednesday Sept. 30. Head on through the link for more details.

Meanwhile, in other Star Trek Online news, the Discovery is posted all over the official website, talking about how grand the science vessel is, and who are we to argue? Plus, it’s customizable, which makes it even better.

In the mood for a rather good read? Then head on over to Massively and check out the site’s “Redefining MMOs: Developers Way-in” piece. In it, the question of how the term “MMO” has changed over the course of the genre’s lifetime. You will hear options from Cryptic (Bill Roper), Metaplace (Raph Koster), Mythic (Paul Barnett), Nexon America (Min Kim), Sony Online (Laralyn McWilliams), Turbine (Jeffrey Steefel) and quite a few others. Go on over.

CCP has files a trademark fro Dust 514, which strangely enough resembles the EvE Logo, Warhammer’s latest patch is up on the test server, Guild Wars had some more class tweaks, and the summer festivities have been extended for Lord of the Rings Online.

Load of stuff, really. Read on past the break for more.

Version 1.3.1 of Warhammer Online is up on the public test server. The new patch tweaks City Invasion gameplay, upgrades to Keeps include the addition of a second ramp up to the keep lord, group summoning stones, performance improvements, and loads more. Patch notes here.

Realm vs. Realm combat is being integrated on Neo Steam and players will be able to fight on foot and in siege engines. While this sounds fun, note that it’s actually timed combat, and players can only indulge in RvR once per weekend with dungeons opening and closing in two hour intervals and are only during evenings.

Design a horse contest is over for Lord of the Rings Online, and while we are bummed we are not good enough with Photoshop to have created and entry, we can instead focus our disappointment on more constructive things-like the summer festival. Afraid you might miss out on Hobbit food races or Dwarven drinking races? Fret not fellow enemy of Sauron. Turbine has extended the festival until August 31. You should have plenty of time to garner enough tokens to get the strange toad and kissy-poo potions from Hobbiton, not mention the cool cloak and hat. Get to playing and remember, you fish for a reason, ok?

The August update for Guild Wars is live, and here are some of the changes you can expect: Assassins’ area-of-effect damage options increased; Dervishes had their survivability improved; Air Magic for Elementalists is now more useful for PvE, while Earth Magic now had more offense options for PvP; Rangers pets were given PvE improvements. Hit the link for more details.

Nexon has introduced two new flying mounts to Mabinogi. One is an Eagle which is rather fast, while the second is a slower Pelican – but it’s a two-seater. The flying mounts can be used to scout or travel the new Africa themed zone Courcle.

A recent trademark filing from CCP Games for DUST 514 is described as providing ‘entertainment services’ and an ‘on-line computer game’. “The mark consists of a masked face with white sunken eyes and a round opening at the mouth. There are two parallel thick lines on either side of the jaw of the face which are a parallel to a third line which runs across the bottom of the face and dips into a V at the center.” Looks a lot like EVE if you ask us. More over on Massively.

CrimeCraft preorder deals have surfaced. Launching on August 25, Vogster Entertainment has provided a list of digital download sites that will offer special preorder and launch bonuses. Get these via the CrimeCraft website, Direct2Drive, Steam, and Best Buy’ Digital. The full list of deals are included in a press release here.

Runes of Magic is getting an update this month with the Weeping Coast zone, which contains over 200 new quests, and a raised level cap of 52. This is to prepare folks for the September release of Chapter II: The Elven Prophecy. To get you psyched for this, Frogster has releases loads of new screens, and they are rather pretty. Go have a look.

The Final Fantasy XIV website has received a major update and now contains loads of information regarding jobs, races, storyline, and new features coming to the game. You should check it out just in case you missed it on the front page yesterday.

League of Legends is down for a September release, and Riot Games has expanded the pool of Beta testers.If you missed out on this before, now is your chance to get in on the testing. Get more info here.

In Fallen Earth, characters advance in rank and abilities regardless of their class or faction, and for each rank a character gains, players earn 2 AP (20 AP per level). Some APs can also be gained by completing missions, and all APs are spent however the player desires. That is just the way the character were built, and if Fallen Earth interests you, and it should because it’s different, a dev diary has been posted over on Massively explaining all of this.

Paragon Studios has shown off some of the power customization coming in the Issue 16: Power Spectrum update for City of Heroes via some screenshots. Kotaku has ‘em. Looks like every player will get one free Tailoring session per costume slot when the update is released.

A new developer diary for Earthrise has been posted over on MMORPG. This week, the focus is on the small settlement known as “The Arboretum”, which was founded by a faction of settlers calling themselves “Nathura”. The area houses a nature-venerating society “consisting primarily of scientists who refused to take sides in the ongoing conflict between Continoma and Noir; instead they chose to focus their knowledge and resources on the betterment of the last piece of inhabitable earth.” Neato.

NHN has announced closed Beta sign-ups for Europeans itching for its fantasy game Karos Online. Due to start this month, those who want to participate in the Beta can visit the official website and sign-up.

Tons of stuff happens during the week with MMOs that it would just boggle your brains, so it’s all here for you in one post as usual.

Fallen Earth promises to be different by being “elf free”, Star Wars revealed the Trooper class, EVE gets a bit of a storyline change, and LOTRO shows you how to pull off those tricky fellowship maneuvers.

Wanna know the rest? Of course you do, and it’s all after the break.

Warhammer’s getting ready to end its live expansion with the Land of the Dead, which will close out the big update arc. IGN has a nice piece giving you all sorts of pre-E3 goodness on what to expect. Go have a look.

A second crafting set is available for Bounty Bay Online. It’s a crafting bundle for lumberjacks with five tickets to the forestry center, each one giving access for a period of 24 hours to an instanced forest area in which players find an inexhaustible timber resource. Also included in the bundle are five lumbering textbooks, which accelerate ability for six hours. The Lumber’s Bundle represents a price saving of around 50%. It will remain available at the special offer price of 149 shop points for one week until Wednesday May 13.

Fellowship maneuvers can be a bit tricky in LORTO, but the official website shows you how to accomplish such a feat. Some heal the group, others give melee damage, restore power, or call forth a helper to defeat your enemies. Basically it’s a combo attack, and some are pretty darn cool to look at. Ents, shades, horses, eagles – all sorts of visuals.

MTV Multiplayer has an interview with Jessica Orr, the product manager of Fallen Earth. Says the biggest difference between the fantasy MMO and others of its genre is that it’s not only a shooter that switches between first and third-person, but it’s also elf-free. More interesting tidbits are in the interview, and the game is sounding better all the time.

Champions Online will allow players to have a secret identity. That’s according to Bill Roper, who sat down with IncGamers to chat a bit about the superhero MMO. He says a secret identity would not be implemented right away, but he’s keen on doing it eventually. Also, there are plans to create super vehicles as “an alternative to flying, burrowing, teleporting or swinging through the game”. Sounds fun.

BioWare has revealed the Trooper class for Star Wars: The Old Republic. This elite combat specialist in the Republic military is armed with heavy blaster rifles and its armor is nearly impenetrable. Best of all – it looks cool. You can read all about the new class here.

Square Enix unveiled the event schedule for the seven-year anniversary of Final Fantasy XI, which runs May 12 – 25. Players will find Moogles in selected zones that provide information on adventures and carry a nice selection of gifts. Get the server schedule and more through here.

The upcoming dungeon, Treasure Trove, is undergoing final testing for Runes of Magic, and soon adventurers will be able to carouse in the newly created Ravenfell territory and get involved with the Black Sail Pirates. Yar. The ghost ship the ‘Black Mary’ will also make an appearance and soon, long-forgotten pirate gold will be up for grabs – but beware – it’s guarded by undead pirates. You can check out screens of it over on Massively.

EverQuest II players can earn extra bonus experience this weekend over in zones that launched with the original release of EQII. Zones include: The Caves, Antonica, Sunken City, Commonlands, Nektulos Forest, Enchanted Lands, and Everfrost.

MapleStory just turned four, and to top that off, it now boasts over 92 million users worldwide – six million of those are in North America. Not bad for a free-to-play MMO. Who are we kidding. That’s a massive number.

The Lineage II five-year anniversary celebration ran into a snafu and has been extended until May 12 – o you still have time to collect all those letters folks. The letters that dropped from monsters in Aden and Gracia will begin dropping again and will continue until maintenance begins on May 12. The Event NPC’s will still be removed from the game during maintenance, so be sure you exchange all of the words you’ve collected before the servers are brought down.

EVE Online writer, Tony Gonzales, has announced that some changes are coming to EVE’s storyline and lore. Plans to address some backstory issues and how it relates to the setting of New Eden are the main subject of a new dev blog on the official site. Gonzales also stated that players who choose to get immersed in the game’s lore may gain additional benefits during PvE down the road.

Loads of goings on in the world of MMOs, as usual. Let us make sense of it for you.

This week’s had its fair share of content updates, a closed beta, character testing, teaser screens, and an MMO set near the Grand Canyon, in the future, after a plague. Honestly.

Read on after the jump.

Age of Conan won the Best Original Score award at the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA), beating out such luminaries as Afrika, Gears of War 2, Mercenaries 2 and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Lord of the Rings Online got two new developer diaries this week. One is all about the scary Old Forest, which is infested with spiders and murderous trees. The other explores lore behind Cerin Amroth — if you are unfamiliar with Middle Earth’s backdrop, be prepared for a sad tale.

Mabinog has a massive expansion in store for players on February 26, called Pioneers of Iria. The added content is four times the size of a normal continent in the game; players will be able to sign up as rival factions (elf and giant) and go PvP wild; new skillsets for player have been added as well as ones for monsters; an all new rebirth system is included; and tons more. Check out Massively for a really pretty trailer for the game and loads more info.

Reviews are starting to pour in for Darkfall, and it looks as though players are in for hardcore PvP action similar to Ultima Online. Like a more relaxed PvE game with optional PvP? This may not the game for you — judge for yourself.

Pirates of the Burning Sea will introduce the Skirmish feature when patch 1.14 goes live. Skirmish allows players the chance to learn PvP in a risk-free environment. Great way to learn the system without the consequences.

Free-to-play Turf Battles and FileFront are giving away keys to a closed beta of the game. Once in, you create a character and go straight into constant PvP. Join tribes, capture turfs — obviously — to farm for gems and other valuable items, then defend your spoils against other players wanting the same thing.

EVE’s first retail expansion, Apocrypha, has simplified the game for beginners by removing some of the character customization stuff. Newbies will be able to pick ancestry, bloodline, career, school and other specializations down the road. Should make it a little less daunting, perhaps. More through here.

Champions Online got three new pics over the week, and while we already posted a link to them — old ones were mixed in the bunch. We’ll help you out and send you over to the official website where all three pics of Lemuria are right up top.

Atlantica Online players should get patched next time they log in, but just in case you don’t, here’s a link. Extensive patch notes are on the main site, along with interesting information on the addition of an Alcatraz dungeon, two new player classes — the Musician and the Maniac — and Pocahontas. Yes, THE Pocahontas.

Cryptic’s dev blog’s confirmed that Star Trek Online will have collision detection, you’ll be able to set your warp factor in-ship, as well as answering endless other questions. The basic Q&A was between the devs and major Star Trek fans.

An interview with Lee Hammock, leader designer for upcoming sci-fi MMO Fallen Earth, is over on GameSource. The game takes place near the Grand Canyon in 2156 after a plague wipes out most of the human race. It has six factions, a classless advancement system and crafting features allowing players to make over 95 percent of in-game items. The MMO has FPS elements, and over 70 towns to explore in a real-time settings with a balanced mix of PvP and PvE.